This application claims the priority of German patent 198 32 630, filed Jul. 21, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a seat-belt arrangement in a motor vehicle, having a seat-belt retractor, which is arranged secured to the vehicle, and also having a seat-belt strap, which is deflected in the region of a trim panel and can be extended or retracted by means of the seat-belt retractor.
A seat-belt arrangement of this type may be present in individual cases, in particular in cabriolets, in which case the seat-belt strap is deflected via a trim panel arranged secured to the vehicle. The seat-belt strap is held in a manner which allows it to be extended and retracted, on a seat-belt retractor arranged secured to the bodywork. In the event of severe stressing of the seat-belt strap, the trim panel may be damaged if it is not designed or supported in a sufficiently stable manner.
A seat-belt arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed in German patent document DE 30 41 103 A1. The seat-belt arrangement has a seat-belt retractor which is arranged secured to the bodywork and in which a seat-belt strap is mounted in a manner which allows it to be wound up and unwound. To deflect the seat-belt strap, a deflecting surface is provided which is formed by a plurality of freely rotatable rolls arranged one behind another along a curved envelope curve. The flexing work when retracting and extending the seat-belt strap is considerably reduced because of these rolls.
In German patent document DE 195 28 715 A1 an arrangement is shown of a seat-belt retractor which is secured to the vehicle and has a seat-belt deflecting means in the region of a trim panel, which seat-belt retractor and deflecting means can be jointly pivoted, the pivoting causing the geometry at the deflecting point for the seat-belt strap to be changed in such a manner that the flexing work of the stressed seat-belt strap can be reduced by smaller contact in the deflecting region. A guide rocker, which is mounted pivotably on the bodywork side, is not provided here in the deflecting region for the seat-belt strap.
The object of the invention is to provide a seat-belt arrangement of the type described generally above, in which damage to a trim panel, on which the seat-belt strap is deflected, is avoided, in particular in the event of stressing.
This object is achieved in that a guide rocker is positioned in the deflecting region, which rocker is secured to the bodywork and is pivotably mounted in an attachment region and has two mutually opposite guide limbs, the seat-belt strap being guided over the two guide limbs and over the attachment region, and in that the guide rocker is arranged in an inclined position relative to the seat-belt retractor and relative to the trim panel in such a manner that the angle of contact of the seat-belt strap against that guide limb which is on the seat-belt retractor side is greater than in the region of that guide limb which is on the trim-panel side. According to the principles of rope friction, this ensures that in the event of the seat-belt strap being subjected to tensile stressing, the guide rocker is pressed away from the internal seat-belt retractor, so that the external strap side is removed at least by a certain amount away from the trim panel. A prerequisite is for the guide rocker in an inclined position to force the nonuniform contact because of its inherent weight. In the event of the seat-belt strap being subjected to severe tensile stressing, damage to the lining part is therefore avoided since the guide rocker presses the seat-belt strap away from the trim panel and therefore relieves the trim panel of stress.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the attachment region and the guide limbs are positioned relative to one another in a triangle in such a manner that the attachment region forms the vertex of the triangle and the guide limbs are positioned at opposite, remaining corners of the triangle. This imaginary triangle is preferably of equal-angled or equal-sided design.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention both the attachment region and the guide limbs are provided with rotatably mounted roller elements. Roller elements of this type can in particular be rolls or rollers.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention the guide rocker is designed as an integral block component. This is a particularly simple refinement, the seat-belt strap not sliding over the guide limbs and the attachment region by way of rolling friction, as in the case of the roller elements, but rather by way of sliding friction.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.